3.2.1. Evaluations of EF descriptors
For data decomposition, 40 covariance descriptors were analyzed with 14 harmonics. Constant descriptor coefficients for size-normalized foramen magnum outlines were a1, b1, c1 and d1 for forty (40) Small African Pangolins (P. tricuspis ) of various sizes, were evaluated for size-normalized outlines, magnitude and the peculiar anisotropy of their ellipses as depicted in tables 3-5. Elliptical descriptors demonstrated the highest major and minor axes/2 magnitudes as well as peculiar anisotropy in the 1st harmonics in all samples irrespective of shapes, these values decreased generally with higher number of harmonics. The gradient decline in values from the 1st to 7th harmonics was characteristic to the more developed samples whereas the lesser developed were from 8th-13th, shapes and sizes were found more unpredictable among the latter. Descriptor values rapidly became inferior to less than or equal to 2% of the values of the 1st harmonics from the 5th harmonic finer details were shown by the minute descriptor values (after the 10th) retained in the higher harmonic orders. The third descriptor (angle of orientation of the first EF position/ellipse) between 0.26-41ยบ could not be associated with any particular harmonic order but common in each (Tables 3 and 4). Elliptical anisotropy of 0.018-53.1 was constant with each harmonic but without any harmonic order relationship (Table 5). Size normalization results presented amplitude related profound descriptor value reduction according to harmonics (approximate factor 1/90 to 1/67000) demonstrated wide ontogenetic allometry. Angular orientation of major axis was also attenuated by 1/1.08 to 1/1.009 factors.